PlatypusJ's Profile

I've always been a fan of Father's Office and go there every few months to satisfy my burger craving. I've noticed, though, that the burgers lately haven't quite been doing it for me. Yesterday, at the Culver City location, the burger was on the cold side (in their defense, I ordered it rare), and the bun tasted stale. I was also disappointed in my second-to-last visit, which was also at the Culver City location.

Are the burgers getting worse? Is it just the Culver City location? Am I imagining things?

A friend of mine wants to celebrate his birthday with a sushi dinner, and we need a great spot relatively close to Hollywood / Silverlake. There will be some foodies and some novices. Sushi Zo is my favorite, but this needs to be significantly more affordable. Please help!

I second Comme Ca on Melrose. It's not hard to get in on a weekend (I've never had a wait, even without a reservation), but the breakfasts are spot on. I recommend either the Croque Madame or the Brioche French toast (I think it's pain perdu on the menu). Their Bloody Marys and Mimosas are also very good.

I'm going to be in West Hollywood tomorrow afternoon, and I'd like to pick up two slices of cheesecake (to go) for later that night. Does anyone have a good recommendation? It can be a bakery or a restaurant as long as I can buy slices and take them home with me. I'd prefer to stay local, but I'll also be in Santa Monica that day.

I love New York Style cheesecake and the kind that's more cakey than creamy (European style?), but any variety will do as long as it's amazing.

Helena, the message one sends by leaving no tip is clear as day. Bad at math? Drunk? Whatever. Also, I don't know about you, but I don't leave a zero tip to leave a message. I leave a zero tip when service is so bad that it should not be rewarded at all. The purpose is not revenge or the satisfaction of sending some kind of message (what kind of person thinks like that?). The purpose is to not give my money to someone who doesn't deserve it.

I just had the Croque Madame last weekend, too, and I thought it was amazing. I'm with slacker and don't like burnt toast, but I thought the crispiness of the bread rounded out the mouthfeel of the sandwich by contrasting the soft egg and gooey cheese. If yours was almost burnt, then I guess the restaurant lacks consistency. Shame. The French toast, Croque Madame, and bloody Mary were each out of this world (but I, too, would prefer some crispiness to the French toast).

I'm sorry you tried Fat Fish, Carly. It's one of the worst places you could possibly go for a sushi chow down. Crappy, inauthentic, AND overpriced. What research did you conduct that made you think Fat Fish was a good option?

I'm surprised no one has mentioned the chopped salad. Am I the only one who thinks it's out of control?

I also loved the chicken liver bruschetta. I had to close my eyes when I bit into it.

Next time I'll try the bone marrow or the squash blossoms, but not both. Which one do you recommend? I've never had bone marrow before, but it's in my bucket list. Will Mozza give me a good first marrow experience?

Is Wa the place next to the Palm Car Wash? If so, then I agree it's fab, but not amazing. The only sushi places worth trying in Weho are 1) the place across from the Palm Car Wash, 2) the place on Sunset and La Cienega in the strip mall that includes Sunset Tan, and 3) the place next to Aahs on the corner of Sunset and San Vicente. Zo is better than all of these, however.

Sasabune DOES precut their fish. It's not great sushi, although most people don't know that because it's the trendy choice. Zo is the best omakase I've had in the city, although I've never been to Urasawa. Omakase at Zo will always costs me slightly more than $100, but I'm a hungry guy. The downside with Zo is that Keso (sp?) is often unwilling to cater the omakase to your own personal tastes. It's usually whatever he feels like making.

Last Sunday, two friends and I went to the annual barbecue at Lucques to celebrate a birthday. It was good, but it didn't quite "meat" my expectations.

As soon as I walked in the door, two things were readily apparent: the employees were all wearing cowboy outfits, and the restaurant was only about half full. I'm a fan of whimsy and privacy, so these were positives.

We sat down and ordered a round of drinks. One of the "specials of the day" was the Ginger Peach, a martini, so two of us ordered that. Although the other drinks were well made, the Ginger Peach was almost undrinkable. It was too strong and had no ginger or peach flavor. Although some might like it, it doesn't have the general appeal necessary to be a suitable special.

We each ordered the barbecue supper and didn't have to wait long at all to start receiving food. The sides were cole slaw, beans, collard greens, watermelon salad, white bread, and corn bread. The cole slaw, beans, and collard greens were all better than average, but not of the quality one might find in a top barbecue joint. I enjoyed them all. The cole slaw wasn't goopy or "wet" with mayo, and the beans were subtle and not overpowering. The collard greens tasted heavy with all the pork fat, so I didn't have more than one bite even though I enjoyed it. The best side by far was the watermelon salad. It was sweet and refreshing, and there was an additional bouquet of flavors that no one at the table could place. The big disappointment was the corn bread. It was horrible. I love cornbread, so I was excited when our waiter brought it to the table. However, it was grilled, and therefore lost all its moisture. Who grills cornbread? It was dry as a brick! It also lacked sweetness. I put the cornbread away after a single bite.

The meat was tasty. We had lamb ribs, St. Louis style pork ribs, and beef ribs. lamb and beef ribs were tender and delicious. I didn't care for the pork ribs because I don't like dry ribs.

The dessert was merely average. It was a pecan tort with a dollop of whipped cream and maple ice cream. We all loved the maple ice cream, but there wasn't much of it. The flavor of the tort was also good, sweet and nutty, but it was harder than I would have liked. Unlike a pecan pie, the tort didn't have a soft layer of pecan goo. It was therefore hard to cut and chew.

The service was lackluster. Although the meal was all-you-can-eat, we had empty glasses and plates full of bones and had a hard time flagging down the servers. The napkin situation was also a nightmare. We each had ONE cloth napkin for an entire barbecue dinner!!

I had a good time with my friends and enjoyed the meal, but I won't go back for the barbecue.

A meal prepared for me by my host family in France. The main course was a spicey cuscus with duck and rabbit and sausages. To drink we had Calvados and Cider that the family created on their farm. Cheeses, coffees, and a family that wasn't MINE!